The Baha'i Studies Listserv
Dear Gilberto: The concept of "najas" (untouchable because something is considered ritually impure) does not exist in the Baha'i Faith. My understanding is that in Islam an infidel (kAAfir, or mushrik) is considered "najas", or semen is considered "najas". This "najas" concept (ritual impurity) is non-existent in the Baha'i religion. Otherwise, Baha'is are commanded to be quintessences of refinement and exquisite cleanliness. The term used is "litAAfat" which is rather difficult to translate as one single word in English. Best regards, Iskandar Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry® -----Original Message----- From: Gilberto Simpson <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:59:37 To: Baha'i Studies<[email protected]> Subject: Re: Ablutions The Baha'i Studies Listserv On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 11:32 PM, Susan Maneck <[email protected]> wrote: > The Baha'i Studies Listserv >> What is the difference between being in a state where one is legally >> required to perform ablutions and being ritually impure? > > Dear Gilberto, > > Baha'is perform ablutions before saying their obligatory prayers even > if they have just had a bath, Right and in Islam there are also ways of being clean in a conventional way while still having to perform wudu/ghusl in order to pray. but the more thorough going ghusl in > Islam is done after sexual relations or after a women's period. This > is because semen and menstrual blood render one ritually impure. In Islam there are at least two levels of impurity. At one level, wudu (ablutions) is sufficient. For other things ghusl (a more extensive degree of ablutions) is necessary. I was just looking at different citations on True Seeker and I guess I understand that there are Bahai writings which say that purity laws have been abolished. And I suppose it is pretty explicit that semen is considered ritually clean in the Bahai laws. But there are also required ablutions for prayer, and rules about menstruating women praying in a different way and instructions to pray on a clean surface. In the Aqdas provision 75 (I'm not sure how to refer to the subdivisions) says the concept of uncleanliness has been abolished. But the very next provision says: " God hath enjoined upon you to observe the utmost cleanliness, to the extent of washing what is soiled with dust, let alone with hardened dirt and similar defilement. Fear Him, and be of those who are pure. Should the garb of anyone be visibly sullied, his prayers shall not ascend to God, and the celestial Concourse will turn away from him. Make use of rose-water, and of pure perfume; this, indeed, is that which God hath loved from the beginning that hath no beginning, in order that there may be diffused from you what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth. " I guess I can't read that and say "The Bahai faith has no concept of ritual impurity". It seems more accurate to describe it in a more nuanced way. __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[email protected] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:%%emailaddr%% Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:%%email.unsub%% Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/%%list.name%% Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
